CHAPTER 1

February 12th 2015. Location: Chicago

"The Werecat Strikes Again!" Greer smugly smiled between sips, her eyes glancing across the Daily Bugle's headline as she dropped the newspaper onto the table.

The sunlight streaming in through the slightly ajar second floor apartment window heated her orange and black striped skin a little. She leant against the long marble island in her kitchen as she sipped a glass of milk.

"It seems I'm getting a name for myself. Not so sure about Werecat though, maybe Cat or Tigress?" she pondered as she meandered towards the kitchen with her glass.

She turned to look at the photo frame with her favourite wedding picture and for a moment her thoughts drifted to the past.

January 30th 2012. Location: Chicago

Greer walked into the kitchen. William Nelson, her husband, sat at the kitchen table in his police uniform. He was engrossed in the morning's issue of the Daily Bugle.

"How was your shift baby?" Greer asked.

"Busy" William groaned, turning to look at his wife who was pulling on a thin robe over her short midnight blue nightgown.

"Let me guess!" she hopped towards him excitedly.

"Go on then" he grinned.

"I'll go with 3 minor drug charges, 2 store thefts and an aggravated assault."

"Close. There was only one store theft."

"You call that a busy night!?" she winked.

"Well it was Dave's last shift too" he reasoned.

"Oh so you had to rush back to the station for a slice of blue iced cake?"

"How did you know it was blue?"

She tapped her upper lip with a sly grin on her face. William got the hint and wiped the icing off his upper lip.

"Maybe I should be the cop. I could make detective in no time" Greer mused.

"And I'll be the lab assistant? I don't think so!" William laughed.

"What's wrong with my job?" Greer asked.

"Biology goes way over my head, you know it does."

"I'll tell you something wrong with my job – this Donalbain character" Greer started "I know that Joanne needed the funding for her research but this guy is so controlling and sleazy, you know? He's even ordered that Joanne try out her experiments on his chosen test subject. I'm meeting her today. The girl probably doesn't know how dangerous it could be. Joanne asked if she could use me as a secret test subject, for her own experiment! She knows I'm a good subject but if this girl isn't in the prime conditions, who knows what trying to increase her physical capabilities could do to her."

Greer turned as she ranted to see William was miming along.

"Hey!"

She hit him playfully. He'd heard the rant a few times – Greer really didn't like Donalbain.

February 12th 2015. Location: Chicago

"Of course, you'd have said this whole thing was corny, like a movie" she tutted, "but I have to do it baby. To get revenge for us."

She gulped down the milk in the glass and nimbly placed it on the table island.

"Now to get to work."

Greer walked across the laminated flooring of her modern, minimalist apartment. She strolled along to a closed grey door and before she even stopped, Greer was pounding on the door. While counting to five in her head, the door was pulled open from the other side. Across from her stood Sam Martinez. Sam was in her early 20s with short black tied back hair. Her dark brown eyebrows sat above two brown eyes while underneath her eyes, dark bags gave away her all-nighter. Her baggy green hoodie hung off of her, almost like a short dress.

"What've you got for me?" Greer asked abruptly.

"Very little" Sam grimaced.

"I thought you said that your membership with the Rising Tide would give you access to loads of information" Greer growled moodily.

"That's what I thought but it seems that any more information is removed before I can get to it" Sam moaned.

"Well then, find who is removing it and get in touch, or better yet, tell me where they are and we can go get them."

"That's the thing, the information is disappearing with no trace."

"That's not good enough."

There was a knock on the door.

"Is that another pizza delivery?" Greer cheekily asked as she looked around the room at the piles of pizza boxes.

Sam padded over to the door as she ignored Greer's remark.

"Wait, don't open it" Greer shouted but it was too late.

Sam had already turned the door knob and pulled the door slightly ajar. It swung open suddenly, knocking her to the floor. Agent Melinda May burst through the door, aiming her gun at Sam while Agent Bobbi Morse aimed at Greer.

"Hi Greer. Why are you searching for Hydra?"

"We have our reasons" Greer vaguely answered for her.

May rolled her eyes, she really couldn't be bothered with an awkward one today. Greer was ready to run but she wasn't convinced she could outrun a bullet. She just had to take out the older agent and she could get the younger one to talk, she seemed like she knew something about Hydra. Meanwhile, Sam was trying to work out a more peaceful resolution to their predicament.

"Not good enough" barked May, "don't make us shoot you."

"That looks like the work of the Ani-mator. I've seen some pictures from his base but I never seen a live subject of his" came Jemma's chirpy voice over the comms system into May and Bobbi's ears.

Greer heard the name and growled.

"Do you know the Ani-mator?" Bobbi asked cautiously.

"He's a pathetic little old man who had me kidnapped and tried to merge my biology with that of a tiger. Oh and he had my husband killed."

"I'm sorry, why are you hunting Hydra though?"

"He worked for Hydra"

"What? How did you know this?" May asked.

"You think I don't recognise Alexander Pierce when I see him?"

May looked shocked, an uncommon emotion to be seen on her.

"Bring them in May" Coulson commanded.

Greer wasn't going to go without a fight. Bobbi holstered her gun and started to pull her battle staves from their holsters. Before she could get to them, Greer lunged at Bobbi, swiping her claw at Bobbi's arm. Bobbi gasped, blood oozing from her arm. She then threw Bobbi across the room. Bobbi landed with a thud on the hard, wooden floor.

May had to step in but she was covering Sam. She glared at the young woman who lay with her hands up at her feet. May knew she wouldn't get far if she even tried to escape. As Greer slowly crept towards May, May saw her opportunity. When Greer tried the same swipe on May as she had on Bobbi, May swiftly and smoothly dodged and grabbed Greer by her long red hair. She pulled Greer's head towards her and punched her hard in the face. Greer managed to get loose but the two women were now locked in a punching match.

May saw Bobbi pick up her battle stave that had fallen out when Greer had thrown her across the room and threw it towards May and Greer. May pulled Greer in front of her and she was hit by the battle stave. Bobbi's aim had been perfect and Greer was taken down by the electric shock from the weapon. Now the cat lay unconscious on the floor next to her accomplice. May smiled and shot their new captives with Night-Night bullets, just to be on the safe side.